Usonia
Encyclopedia
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
architect
Architect
An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
Frank Lloyd Wright
Frank Lloyd Wright
Frank Lloyd Wright was an American architect, interior designer, writer and educator, who designed more than 1,000 structures and completed 500 works. Wright believed in designing structures which were in harmony with humanity and its environment, a philosophy he called organic architecture...
to refer to his vision for the landscape of the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, including the planning of cities
Urban planning
Urban planning incorporates areas such as economics, design, ecology, sociology, geography, law, political science, and statistics to guide and ensure the orderly development of settlements and communities....
and the architecture
Architecture
Architecture is both the process and product of planning, designing and construction. Architectural works, in the material form of buildings, are often perceived as cultural and political symbols and as works of art...
of buildings. Wright proposed the use of the adjective Usonian in place of American to describe the particular New World
New World
The New World is one of the names used for the Western Hemisphere, specifically America and sometimes Oceania . The term originated in the late 15th century, when America had been recently discovered by European explorers, expanding the geographical horizon of the people of the European middle...
character of the American landscape as distinct and free of previous architectural conventions.
Usonian has occasionally been used in the sense of "U.S. citizen". (See :wiktionary:Usonian and names for Americans.)
Usonian houses
'Usonian' is a term usually referring to a group of approximately sixty middle-income family homes designed by Frank Lloyd Wright beginning in 1936 with the Jacobs HouseHerbert and Katherine Jacobs First House
Herbert and Katherine Jacobs First House, commonly referred to as Jacobs I, is a single family home located in Madison, Wisconsin. Designed by noted American architect Frank Lloyd Wright, it was constructed in 1937 and is considered by most to be the first Usonian home.-History:Madison...
. The "Usonian Homes" were typically small, single-story dwellings without a garage
Garage (house)
A residential garage is part of a home, or an associated building, designed or used for storing a vehicle or vehicles. In some places the term is used synonymously with "carport", though that term normally describes a structure that is not completely enclosed.- British residential garages:Those...
or much storage, L-shaped to fit around a garden terrace on odd (and cheap) lots, with native materials, flat roofs and large cantilevered overhangs for passive solar heating and natural cooling, natural lighting with clerestory
Clerestory
Clerestory is an architectural term that historically denoted an upper level of a Roman basilica or of the nave of a Romanesque or Gothic church, the walls of which rise above the rooflines of the lower aisles and are pierced with windows. In modern usage, clerestory refers to any high windows...
windows, and radiant-floor heating. A strong visual connection between the interior and exterior spaces is an important characteristic of all Usonian homes. The word carport
Carport
A carport is a covered structure used to offer limited protection to vehicles, primarily cars, from the elements. The structure can either be free standing or attached to a wall. Unlike most structures a carport does not have four walls, and usually has one or two...
was coined by Wright to describe an overhang for a vehicle to park under.
Variants of the Jacobs House design are still in existence today and do not look overly dated. The Usonian design is considered among the aesthetic origins of the popular "ranch" tract home popular in the American west of the 1950s.
Origin of the word
But why this term "America" has become representative as the name of these United States at home and abroad is past recall. Samuel Butler fitted us with a good name. He called us Usonians, and our Nation of combined States, Usonia.
- –Frank Lloyd Wright on Architecture: Selected Writings 1894–1940, p. 100.
The word is clearly cognate with the Esperanto
Esperanto
is the most widely spoken constructed international auxiliary language. Its name derives from Doktoro Esperanto , the pseudonym under which L. L. Zamenhof published the first book detailing Esperanto, the Unua Libro, in 1887...
name for the United States, Usono. The creator of Esperanto, L. L. Zamenhof
L. L. Zamenhof
Ludwig Lazarus Zamenhof December 15, 1859 – April 14, 1917) was the inventor of Esperanto, the most successful constructed language designed for international communication.-Cultural background:...
, used this name in his speech at the 1910 World Congress of Esperanto
World Congress of Esperanto
The World Congress of Esperanto has the longest tradition among international Esperanto conventions, with an almost unbroken run of more than a hundred years. The congresses have been held since 1905 every year, except during World Wars I and II...
in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, coincidentally the same year Wright was in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
. However, the Esperanto online dictionary Reta Vortaro attributes the word to Wright.
Noted Usonian houses
- John D. Haynes House, Fort Wayne, IndianaFort Wayne, IndianaFort Wayne is a city in the US state of Indiana and the county seat of Allen County. The population was 253,691 at the 2010 Census making it the 74th largest city in the United States and the second largest in Indiana...
- Arthur Pieper residence, Paradise Valley, ArizonaParadise Valley, ArizonaParadise Valley is a small, affluent town in Maricopa County, Arizona, United States. According to the 2005 Census Bureau, the population of the town was 14,558. Despite the town's relatively small area and population compared to other municipalities in the Phoenix metropolitan area, Paradise...
- Bernard Schwartz HouseBernard Schwartz HouseThe Bernard Schwartz House, also known as Still Bend, is a Frank Lloyd Wright designed house in Two Rivers, Wisconsin. It is considered to be Wright's Life magazine "Dream House". Wright originally developed the design for the house for Life in 1938. The Schwartz House is one of the few Wright...
, Two Rivers, WisconsinTwo Rivers, WisconsinTwo Rivers is a city in Manitowoc County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 11,712 at the 2010 census. It is the birthplace of the ice cream sundae... - Donald C. Duncan House, Donegal, PennsylvaniaDonegal, PennsylvaniaDonegal is a borough in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is a distinct municipality from the adjacent Donegal Township. The population was 165 at the 2000 census...
(dismantled and relocated from its original location in Lisle, IllinoisLisle, IllinoisLisle is a village in DuPage County, Illinois, United States. The population was 22,930 at the 2011 census, and estimated to be 23,135 as of 2008. It is part of the Chicago metropolitan area and the Illinois Technology and Research Corridor...
) - Dorothy S. Turkel House, Detroit, MichiganMichiganMichigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
- Frank S. Sander House, Stamford, ConnecticutStamford, ConnecticutStamford is a city in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. According to the 2010 census, the population of the city is 122,643, making it the fourth largest city in the state and the eighth largest city in New England...
- Evelyn and Conrad Gordon House, Wilsonville, OregonWilsonville, OregonWilsonville is a city primarily in Clackamas County, Oregon, United States. A portion of the northern section of the city is in Washington County. Originally founded as Boones Landing due to the Boones Ferry which crossed the Willamette River at the location, the community became Wilsonville in...
(later moved to Silverton, OregonSilverton, OregonSilverton is a city in Marion County, Oregon, United States, along the 45th parallel. The population was 7,414 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Salem Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
) - Herbert and Katherine Jacobs First HouseHerbert and Katherine Jacobs First HouseHerbert and Katherine Jacobs First House, commonly referred to as Jacobs I, is a single family home located in Madison, Wisconsin. Designed by noted American architect Frank Lloyd Wright, it was constructed in 1937 and is considered by most to be the first Usonian home.-History:Madison...
, Madison, WisconsinMadison, WisconsinMadison is the capital of the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Dane County. It is also home to the University of Wisconsin–Madison.... - J.A. Sweeton ResidenceJ.A. Sweeton ResidenceThe J.A. Sweeton Residence was built in 1950 in Cherry Hill, New Jersey. At , it is the smallest of the four Frank Lloyd Wright houses in New Jersey. This Usonian scheme house was constructed of concrete blocks and redwood plywood....
, Cherry Hill, New JerseyCherry Hill, New JerseyCherry Hill is a township in Camden County, New Jersey, in the United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township had a population of 71,045, representing an increase of 1,080 from the 69,965 residents enumerated during the 2000 Census... - Kentuck KnobKentuck KnobKentuck Knob, also known as the Hagan House, is a residence designed by the American architect Frank Lloyd Wright in rural Stewart Township near the village of Chalk Hill, Fayette County, Pennsylvania, USA, about southeast of Pittsburgh...
, Stewart Township, Fayette County, Pennsylvania - Louis Penfield HouseLouis Penfield HouseThe Louis Penfield House is a house built by Frank Lloyd Wright, located in Willoughby Hills, Ohio. It is one of Wright's nine Usonian homes in Ohio....
, Willoughby, OhioWilloughby, OhioAs of the census of 2000, there were 22,621 people, 10,265 households, and 5,892 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,225.3 people per square mile . There were 10,700 housing units at an average density of 1,052.6 per square mile... - Lowell and Agnes Walter House, Quasqueton, IowaQuasqueton, IowaQuasqueton is a city in Buchanan County, Iowa, United States. The population was 574 at the 2000 census. Just northwest of the town is Cedar Rock, a home designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, which is maintained by the state as a museum.-Geography:...
- Muirhead Farmhouse, Hampshire, IllinoisHampshire, IllinoisHampshire is a village in Kane County, Illinois, United States.-Geography:Hampshire is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of , all of it land.-Demographics:...
- Pope-Leighey House, Alexandria, VirginiaAlexandria, VirginiaAlexandria is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of 2009, the city had a total population of 139,966. Located along the Western bank of the Potomac River, Alexandria is approximately six miles south of downtown Washington, D.C.Like the rest of northern Virginia, as well as...
- Robert H. Sunday HouseRobert H. Sunday HouseThe Robert H. Sunday House is located at 1701 Woodfield Dr, Marshalltown, Iowa. It was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright in the Usonian style and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.-References:...
, Marshalltown, IowaMarshalltown, IowaMarshalltown is a city in and the county seat of Marshall County, Iowa, United States. The population was 27,552 in the 2010 census, an increase from the 26,009 population in the 2000 census. -History:... - Robert and Rae Levin House, Kalamazoo, MichiganKalamazoo, MichiganThe area on which the modern city stands was once home to Native Americans of the Hopewell culture, who migrated into the area sometime before the first millennium. Evidence of their early residency remains in the form of a small mound in downtown's Bronson Park. The Hopewell civilization began to...
- Rosenbaum HouseRosenbaum HouseThe Rosenbaum House is a single-family house, designed by architect Frank Lloyd Wright and built for Stanley and Mildred Rosenbaum in Florence, Alabama. A noted example of his Usonian house concept, it is the only Wright building in Alabama, and is one of only 26 pre-World War II Usonian houses...
, Florence, AlabamaFlorence, AlabamaFlorence is the county seat of Lauderdale County, Alabama, United States, in the northwestern corner of the state.According to the 2005 Census Bureau estimates, the city's population was 36,721.... - Samara (John E. Christian House)Samara (house)Designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, Samara, also known as the John E. Christian House, is located in West Lafayette, Indiana. The home is an example of the Usonian homes that Wright designed. Samara was built from 1954 and 1956 and is still occupied by the original owner, John E...
, West Lafayette, IndianaWest Lafayette, IndianaAs of the census of 2010, there were 29,596 people, 12,591 households, and 3,588 families residing in the city. The population density was 5,381.1 people per square mile . The racial makeup of the city was 74.3% White, 17.3% Asian, 2.7% African American, 0.16% Native American, 0.03% Pacific... - Usonia HomesUsonia HomesUsonia Homes is a planned community in the Town of Mount Pleasant, adjacent to the village of Pleasantville, New York. In 1945, a rural tract was purchased by a cooperative of young couples from New York City, who were able to enlist Frank Lloyd Wright to build his Broadacre City concept. Wright...
, Pleasantville, New YorkPleasantville, New YorkPleasantville is a village in Westchester County, New York, United States. The population was 7,019 at the 2010 census. It is located in the town of Mount Pleasant. Pleasantville is home to a campus of Pace University and to the Jacob Burns Film Center...
- Sol Friedman HouseSol Friedman HouseSol Friedman House Toyhill, was built in Pleasantville, New York in 1948. This was the first of the three Frank Lloyd Wright homes built in the "Usonia Homes" development north of New York City....
- Edward Serlin HouseEdward Serlin HouseEdward Serlin House was built in Pleasantville, New York in 1949.This is the second of the "Usonia Homes", and its design includes a shed roof.-References:...
- Roland Reisley HouseRoland Reisley HouseRoland Reisley House was built in Pleasantville, New York in 1951. The third of the "Usonia Homes", this is a building on a hillside with a masonry "core" and wood siding. Roland Reisley was 26 when he built his home...
- Sol Friedman House
- Weltzheimer/Johnson House, Oberlin, OhioOberlin, OhioOberlin is a city in Lorain County, Ohio, United States, to the south and west of Cleveland. Oberlin is perhaps best known for being the home of Oberlin College, a liberal arts college and music conservatory with approximately 3,000 students...
- Zimmerman House, Manchester, New HampshireManchester, New HampshireManchester is the largest city in the U.S. state of New Hampshire, the tenth largest city in New England, and the largest city in northern New England, an area comprising the states of Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont. It is in Hillsborough County along the banks of the Merrimack River, which...
- Russell & Ruth Kraus House in Ebsworth Park, Kirkwood, MissouriKirkwood, MissouriKirkwood is an inner-ring suburb of St. Louis, located in St. Louis County, Missouri. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 27,540. Founded in 1853, the city is named for James Pugh Kirkwood, builder of the Pacific Railroad through that town. It was the first planned suburb located west...
See also
- Polychrome Historic DistrictPolychrome Historic DistrictThe Polychrome Historic District is a national historic district in Silver Spring, Montgomery County, Maryland. It recognizes a group of five houses built by John Joseph Earley in 1934 and 1935. Earley used precast concrete panels with brightly-colored aggregate to produce the polychrome effect,...
A similar effort to provide inexpensive housing by John Joseph Earley
External links
- John D. Haynes House
- Jacobs House
- Frank Lloyd Wright: Usonian House at PBS.org
- Columbia University - Usonia: Frank Lloyd Wright's Vision for America
- Pope-Leighey House, Usonian house in Alexandria, Virginia, open to the public
- Weltzheimer/Johnson House, Usonian house in Oberlin, Ohio, open to the public
- http://www.wrightinalabama.com, Rosenbaum House Florence Alabama
- List of Usonian houses
- The Post Usonian Project